Stress: It Impacts Your Health

I had always been a relatively healthy person. I was the type of person who went all winter without even catching a cold. I recently got the promotion at work that I had wanted for years. I not only got a salary increase, but I became a supervisor of many employees. My hours increased as well. My health took a turn for the worse not long after I received my promotion, and I felt like I was constantly fighting one virus or another. I knew it was the job stress getting to me, so one day, I made an appointment with a counselor. I learned how to manage my stress with daily meditation and other techniques, and my physical health improved along with my mental health. I created this blog to encourage others to find healthy ways to manage stress to keep their minds, bodies, and spirits healthy.

What Is Turf Toe?

Posted on:
30 July 2015

Simply defined, turf toe is a sprain of the joint at the base of the big toe. This type of injury can involve damage to ligaments, tendons, and bones under the toe if the toe bends too far back when it hits the ground. Turf toe injuries range from mild to severe and often occur when playing a sport on an artificial surface such as a football field. However, athletes can injure the bottom of the big toe on any type of surface. A sport such as the martial arts, which requires wearing a soft flexible shoe, also puts you at greater risk of toe injury.

Symptoms

This type of injury usually occurs suddenly and causes symptoms such as:

Pain when you bend the toe down or pull it upward

Swelling of the joint

Tenderness and skin discoloration at the injured area

Less strength in the toe

Reduced range of motion in the toe

Difficulty walking (limping)

A lump or other deformity at the injury site

Your doctor may diagnose turf toe following a physical examination, which will include moving your toe against resistance. In addition, your doctor may observe you standing and walking and ask you questions relating to how the injury happened. He or she likely will ask you what activities make the pain or other symptoms worse. In some cases, X-rays or MRI imaging may be necessary to rule out fracture, which causes symptoms similar to turf toe. Hammertoes, gout, neuromas (swelling of nerve tissue), and bunions can also cause turf toe.

Treatment

If the injury is mild, treatment to promote healing usually includes:

Putting ice on the joint to reduce swelling

Applying a compression bandage

Elevating your foot to drain fluid that accumulates in the joint

Resting and the use of crutches to take weight off the toe

Over-the-counter pain relievers

In cases of severe pain that interferes with a patient's mobility, doctors often recommend these additional measures:

Strengthening and stretching exercises to improve range of motion of the toe joint

Physical therapy that involves the use of electrical stimulation, laser therapy, or manual therapies to increase blood circulation to the area

How long it takes you to recover from turf toe depends on how severely you injure the toe. In serious cases of turf toe, you may need surgery or not recover fully from the injury. If that happens, the toe may remain stiff or you can get toe arthritis. For more information, visit a foot doctor at The Podiatry Center.